Why Does Every Liquor Store In Superior Need To Have a Bar In It?

Maybe you haven't noticed it, but I guarantee you will now.  Every place that has liquor for sale in Superior has either a lounge or bar attached or inside the liquor store.  But why is this?  I had heard the rumor for a while, but after the Harbor View Super One opened it's liquor store with it's miniature bar inside, I decided to dig in and find and answer.

So I went and looked up city ordinances and found this section:

Under premises ineligible for license:

(h)

Premises that do not accommodate on-premises seating. No "Class B" license or permit may be granted for any premises that does not accommodate on-premises seating for service of at least six patrons. Any premises to which a "Class B" is attached must, at all times, maintain on-premises seating for service to at least six patrons.

(Code 1971, § 5-10; Ord. No. O04-3475, § 1, 5-18-2004)

So there it is, just a couple of sentences that put the ordinance in place.   That explains why every liquor store in town at least has a small 6 person or bigger seating area on the premise.

Sources I have talked to in the past have said it's because they wanted to protect the taverns businesses from people running to a big box discount liquor store from coming to town.

Either way, it's a unique situation that Superior Wisconsin has that many other cities don't.